EVERYONE DESERVES TO BREATHE CLEAN AIR IN OUR PUBLIC BUILDINGS

More than 750 schools, hospitals, and other state sector buildings are waiting for funding to transition off fossil fuels

Is your local school or hospital still burning fossil fuels, waiting for funding?

The government has committed to decarbonising the public service. But today, there are more than 750 schools, hospitals and public buildings waiting for funding from the government to transition off fossil fuel heating sources (like diesel and gas burners) to renewable heating sources.

Find out how the transition is going using this map:

This map was produced from EECA data, collected in 2011 and 2021.

Send Your Message

Decarbonise our state sector

Every child in Aotearoa should be able to go to school and breathe clean air, and every patient and healthcare worker should be kept warm and well with renewable-powered heating.

Currently, hundreds of our state schools and a number of our hospitals burn fossil fuels (primarily fossil gas) for heating. This is a major risk to the health of our communities and our climate. The Government knows this is a problem, and has already funded some institutions to decarbonise, with great results; clean air, healthier environments and cost savings from energy efficiency. Unfortunately, the funding is nowhere near enough.

Send a message to Finance Minister Nicola Willis, asking her to fully fund the decarbonisation of our schools, hospitals and public buildings.

Many of our schools, hospitals and other state sector buildings are still running off asthma causing, climate-killing fossil fuels - ask the Finance Minister to increase investment in decarbonising the state sector.

For added impact, personalise the message or mention local examples. You can use this map to find a school, hospital or other public building near you that is still being heated with fossil fuels.

You can edit this text to make it personal to you.

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So what do we replace fossil fuel boilers with?

When it comes to replacing fossil fuel boilers in schools, hospitals, and other Government buildings with renewable energy, we have several options.

These include standard heat pumps, ground-source heat pumps, electrode boilers and biomass boilers that burn wood waste. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution: it’s important to choose the renewable option that works best in each particular circumstance, including available renewable energy supply and local environmental effects. Whilst biomass boilers have much lower emissions than oil or gas boilers, they still contribute to air pollution and are therefore a less favourable alternative.

Wait! But if we are advocating for electric heating wouldn’t our electricity need to be fossil-free too?

Absolutely, that is why we are also campaigning to make New Zealand’s electricity generation 100% fossil free and call for homegrown energy solutions.

Check out our Homegrown Energy campaign here.

How did this campaign begin?

This campaign was started by the Fossil Free State Sector Coalition (FFSSC), a group of unions, climate justice, and health organisations, working together to achieve a fossil free state sector.

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